Hyundai is unlikely to produce pure electric vehicles in any great volume according to vice chairman Yang Woong-chul.
According to reports in South Korea, the carmaker is sceptical about the future of electric vehicles and is betting on fuel cell technology instead.
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Hyundai will focus on plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, although affiliate Kia plans to sell a pure electric car in South Korea by the end of this year.
Hyundai and Kia, which together rank fifth in global car sales, have been slow in tapping into the segment, focusing more on fuel-efficient gasoline models. Yang, who heads research and development at Hyundai and Kia, said that it would be difficult for electric cars to replace those equipped with internal combustion engines, citing limited battery technology and infrastructure, reports said.
Last year Hyundai started to produce its first all-electric model, the BlueOn, for only fleet use in South Korea. This year it started selling a hybrid version of its Sonata in the US and South Korea.
A spokesman for Kia said: “While it is true that top group management has decided that Hyundai will pursue plug-ins as its core strategic eco-friendly growth platform while Kia will focus on EVs, this does not mean that Kia will not offer hybrids, plug-ins or FCEVS. Kia will be the first to launch a global full-electric vehicle but Hyundai could also offer full-EV cars at a later point in time.”
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